Pre- & Post-Adoption Consultations
Children growing up in orphanages overseas can develop psychological and health challenges that parents may need additional help understanding and addressing. We provide consultations to parents in the pre-adoptive period – before traveling overseas to meet the child – and in the post-adoptive period – after the child has been welcomed into their new home.
About International Adoption
Almost 200,000 children from all over the world have been adopted by U.S. citizens during the past decade. The majority of these children have lived in relatively hostile, crowded, neglectful, pre-adoptive environments that lack adequate hygiene and nutrition. Subsequently, internationally adopted children have significant risks of developmental, behavioral, and health problems. As a result, international adoption can be highly complex for families.
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How We Can Help
Children growing up in orphanages overseas can develop psychological and health challenges that parents may need additional help understanding and addressing. We provide consultations to parents in the pre-adoptive period – before traveling overseas to meet the child – and in the post-adoptive period – after the child has been welcomed into their new home. Families receive continued follow-up care at the 3-month and 6-month marks post-adoption, in order to monitor the child's behavioral, developmental, and physical development and provide parents the support they need. Our services include:
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Consultations
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Counseling to families
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Post-adoption medical and developmental evaluations
Pre-Adoption Consultations
We provide one-on-one sessions with families and our physicians prior to travel overseas. These preliminary adoption consultations provide families with appropriate knowledge and tools to evaluate prospective children as well as information regarding medical, developmental and behavioral risks common to internationally adopted children. Additionally, we provide consultations to families while they are overseas visiting prospective children. Families are responsible for contacting our office via phone or e-mail with the information they wish to have reviewed.
Post-Adoption Consultations
We provide a detailed evaluation of internationally adopted children in the post-adoptive period. We do not recommend consultations within the first two weeks of arrival in the United States, as it can be a stressful time for both the child and adoptive parents. This visit focuses on several components including:
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Physical exam
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Behavioral and developmental assessments
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Education
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Ordering lab exams
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Referrals and follow-up
Role of the Primary Care Physician
Ocean Sleep Medicine's Pediatric Development Clinic is a specialist referral center for internationally adopted children. The primary pediatrician is considered to be a vital part of this process. All immunizations, immediate and ongoing medical problems, and therapies will be addressed by the child’s pediatrician. The pediatrician will utilize medical records to determine if the child has any underlying genetic conditions or other pre-dispositions, which is important information for the parents before choosing to adopt.
Continued Follow-Up Care
All children will be scheduled for a three-month and six-month follow-up care appointment from the time of the initial visit. This is to ensure optimal developmental and behavioral surveillance for this at-risk population. This strategy allows for timely interventions to be made.
Book An Appointment
To make an appointment for a pre- or post-adoption consultation, call our office at (949) 446-8990, or click the button below to fill out an appointment request, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
About the Doctor
GARY FELDMAN, MD
Pediatric Sleep Specialist
Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrician
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With over 16 years of experience, Dr. Gary Feldman founded Ocean Medicine after developing a longstanding reputation for excellence in pediatric sleep and behavior medicine as the Medical Director of the Stramski Children's Developmental Center at Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach since 2004. He was named 2010 Physician of the Year by Miller Children's and Women's Hospital Long Beach, and has been named a Southern California Super Doctor since 2014. He has received numerous other awards acknowledging his distinctions in behavioral pediatrics and sleep medicine, and is a sought-after speaker on these topics as well as international adoption medine.
WHAT PARENTS ARE SAYING:
"During our international adoption, Dr. Feldman met us via teleconference (for our convenience) and held a lengthy and refreshingly frank discussion of our situation. Later after returning to the US with our newly adopted child, we met with Dr. Feldman for almost three hours while he meticulously examined our child, played with our child, and provided insightful observations, concerns, and suggestions.
All in all, I was very impressed with the personal attention and professionalism Dr. Feldman extended our family. I never felt like we were simply an income stream for him, he patiently listened to all our questions and answered them directly without a lot of "standard answers," and our child was immediately comfortable with Dr. Feldman from the moment he entered the room."
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– T.N., Cypress, CA